Machines for fastening closures



y 1955 J. J. FRANK 2,709,255

MACHINES FOR FASTENING CLQSURES Filed Dec. 19. 1951 INVENTOR JOSEPH J. FRHNK United States Patent i MACHINES FOR FASTENING CLOSURES Joseph James Frank, Union, N. J.

Application December 19, 1951, Serial No. 262,410

10 Claims. (Cl. 1-215) This invention relates to a machine for fastening closures. In a prior application Serial No. 189,924 I have disclosed a new type of fastener shaped in its original form like a horseshoe with flanges and which is applied to a constriction in the neck of a bag or sausage casing or the like, like a collar, the ends of the fastener then being turned inward toward the constriction and driven diametrically into the material of the constriction with suflicient force to improve the sealing without rupturing the material.

The principle by which the body of a closure is compressed against the mid-portion of a metallic closure fastener by inturning the ends of the fastener is believed to be new and the present invention is concerned with a novel machine for applying such fasteners.

A preferred form of a hand operated type of the machine is shown in the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the machine shown partly in section, and partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the operating face of the upper die;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational View of the upper die;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the upper die;

Fig. 5 is a side view of the fastener;

Fig. 6 is an end view of the fastener;

Fig. 7 is an end elevational view of the lower die;

Fig. 8 is a section through Fig. 7 on the line 8-45.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the operating face of the lower die.

Referring now to the numerals of the drawings, 10 indicates a portion of the frame which supports the dies and the operating mechanism for the dies. As shown, the frame is a cast member having a fiat bottom which is adapted to be supported by a table, to which it may be bolted by means not shown. The frame is.provided with upper and lower spaced supports 11 and 12 respectively which are adapted for the receipt of the die operating and supporting means. The frame also includes a pair of spaced ears 13, only one of which is shown, in which is mounted a pin 14 which rotatably supports a cam lever 15, cam 16 of which serves to operate the die supporting means. The cam has two abutments 17, 18 which prevent the handle from being thrown too far in either direction. The handle is shown as truncated to save space in the drawing and the frame of the machine is also truncated for the same purpose.

The upper arm 11 of the support is provided with a bore 19 which is of reduced size at its lower end 20 which serves as a bearing for the shaft 21 which supports the die at its lower end and is depressed by the cam 16 at its upper end. The constriction 20 also provides a shoulder 22 upon which a spring 23 is mounted, this spring bearing against a flange 24 which projects outwardly at the upper end of the plunger 21. The flange 24 is of such size that it may enter the bore 19 of the upper support 11. The spring 23 bears against the lower side of the flange 24 and returns the plunger to upper position as soon as it is released by the cam 16. The cam 16 op- 2,799,255 Patented May 31, 1955 crates against a roller 25 which is mounted on a pin 26 which in turn is carried by a yoke 27 upstanding from the flange 24 of the post 21. The plunger alignment is maintained by a pin 28 which is received in a hole 29 in the support 11 and projects into a slot 3t) in the side of the plunger 21. The sides of the slot engage the end of the pin 29 and maintain the alignment of the plunger 21 and consequently the alignment of the die mounted in the end of the plunger.

The lower end of the plunger 21 is provided with a bore 31 entering from the end, in which. is received the stud 32 of the die 33. This stud has a groove 34 which is engaged by the end of aligning screw 35 which is seated in the end of plunger 21 and maintains the die 33 in aligned position in the end thereof. A screw 36 mounted in the support 21 has a head which overlaps a flange 37 of the pin 28. When the pin is to be removed the screw 36 is first removed and then the pin 28 is readily detached, permitting the removal of the plunger 21 after the screw 35 and the die 33 have been removed from the end, the cam 15 may be removed by removing the pin 14. It will be seen therefore that the mechanism is readily dismantled for repair or inspection.

The lower support 12 of the frame it also is bored for the reception of a bottom set adjusting screw 40 which is screw threaded into a reduced portion of a bore 41 and projects into an enlarged portion of the bore 42. By raising and lowering this screw the position of the lower die may also be raised and lowered. The lower die set assembly is received in the enlarged bore 42 and is composed of a hollow standard or bottom set 43 which is screw threaded at its lower end 44 for the reception of a bottom set screw 45. The bottom set has an internal bore 46 which extends to a position close to its upper end 47. At the upper end of the bore 46is a pin 48 extending from side to side of the set and projecting outward at its ends to serve as a support for the sleeve 49 which will be fully described hereinafter. Within the bore 46 there is received a spring 50 which bears upon the bottom set screw at its lower end and upon the pin 43 at its upper end. Opposite sides of the bottom set 43 are slotted at 77 so that the pin 48 may readily move up and down against the opposition of the spring 50.

The operating faces of the dies have not yet been described and reference will now be had to their structure. These members are properly called dies, or anvil and driver, or anvil and hammer. As either member appears to be equally capable of being called anvil or hammer, the term anvil will be applied only to the upper die and the word driver only to the lower in this specification without limiting the same terms, as employed in the claims, to such specific application.

The upper die includes a stud 32, on one end of which is an integral flange of circular shape from which projects at right angles an indented pin 61 of considerable breadth, which may also be described as two posts 62, 63 having internally bevelled faces shaped to constitute guides and the operating surface of the die or anvil. The ends of these posts are outwardly bevelled at 64 and 65 to provide surfaces to engage corresponding bevels 64, 65 on the lower die, the purpose of which is to align the dies perfectly for each stroke. The middle portion of the faces of these posts, such as at 66, are fiat or flattish, conforming to the shape of the fastener, and the edges are bevelled at 67, also for the purpose of conforming to the shape of the fastener.

Below the bevelled portions 64, 65', the guides have faces 69-70 which are curved so as to turn the projecting ends of the fastener inward. These turning or anvil surfaces are cylindrical or demi-cylindrical in shape and have a cylindrical element 63 in common. When the ends of the fastener, which project upwardly in the lower die, engage the said cylindrical surfaces 69, 7% they are turned 'awardly and reversed in direction so that they are forced in a generally diametric direction into the body of the closure. This operation is sometimes facilitated if the face of the posts 63, 62 above the curves 69, '70, diverge slightly. Thus, this anvil is provided with a double groove in its active surface.

The bottom set 43 is provided with a reduced neck portion 75 of square section which is terminated by a shoulder '76. Upon this square section is mounted the sleeve 49 which has an internal square hole fitting the square neck 755. Slots '7! on opposite sides of the neck permit the sleeve 49 to be moved downward against the compression of spring 59 by engagement with the die 61. The sleeve has two upstanding posts 78, 79 (see Fig. 9) which are externally bevelled at 64, 65 for cooperation with the bevels 64, d5 on posts 62, 63. Thus, when the plunger is forced down by the cam 16, the bevels 64., 65 engage the bevels 64', 65, respectively, and force the sleeve down the neck 75. At one side of the posts 78, 79 are additional posts 82, 33: which are somewhat closer together than the posts 78, 79. Additional posts 84, 85 are positioned on the opposite side of the posts 78, 79. The outer posts are separated from the inner posts by a space 36 on one side and 87 on the other. These grooves or spaces thus formed extend down into the body of the sleeve below the level of the grooves 89, 90 between said posts 84, 85 and 82, 83. The upper end of the bottom set 75 has a single concave groove 91 extending from side to side. The groove is of about the same total width as the pair of grooves in the upper die. The fastener 1G0 is put in between the posts 78, 79 with its open end upward and its flanges 101ll)2 extending into the grooves 37, S6, and when thus in place has its inner central level about on the level with the grooves 90, 89. The height of posts 82 to 35 is greater than that of posts 78, 79. The width of member 61 is about equal to that of posts 7'8, 79. The lateral edges of the operating face 91 are curved or bevelled as at 95.

In operating the machine, a fastener, of the type having a flanged band with blunt or rounded ends, forms of which are illustrated in my said copending case, and in Fig. 5 hereof, is placed in the lower die with its open end upward, the neck of a bag or other flexible tube is twisted and the twisted constriction is placed within the fastener and the upper die is brought down by means of the cam handle 15, 1.6, whereupon the double grooves 69, 7t} and hammer or driver 91 turn the ends of the fastener inward, reverse their direction, and drive them into the body portion of the constriction, while at the same time the fastener is reduced in circumference and constricted upon the constriction in the neck of the bag. The pressure applied will not normally be sufficient to penetrate the material of which the constriction is made. This pressure can be adjusted by changing the spring 50 in the bottom set employing a heavier spring when the use of a heavier fastener. or tougher tube material permits greater pressure to be applied. Thus the apparatus is adapted to the sealing of different kinds of material of different strength.

The apparatus is of comparatively simple construction easily dismantled, not expensive to make, and highly efficient in operation. The seal made by it does not damage the material sealed and hermetically closes a twisted closure, or a pleated closure, being, it is believed, the first non-circular fastener capable of accomplishing this objective.

The fastener makes it possible to make hermetical seals in comparatively crudely prepared closures as well as in those prepared by pleating machines or the like, and this machine enables one to make such closures with exceptional rapidity. For instance, the fastener having been dropped into the lower die with flanges 101 in grooves 86-87, a twist is put in a flexible tube end and laid in grooves till-90 and within the fastener 100, which has its ends bent inward by the curved surfaces 69-70 and driven into the body of the twist, making acon strictive, and compressive hermetical seal without damaging the material of the tube. Constriction occurs as the circumference of the fastener is reduced, and compression of the closure occurs between the inturned ends of the fastener and the opposite side of the fastener.

As many apparently widely different embodiments of the present invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiments.

What is claimed is:

1. Closure fastening means for a flanged band fastener comprising cooperating die means of which one has a double grooved and the other a single grooved operating face, conforming to the width of the flanged band, fastener guide means associated with each said die means, and having cooperating, aligning means, the guide means on one said die means including posts on opposite sides of said operating face for the reception therebetween of the fastener, and posts beside and spaced from said posts for the reception of a flange of such flanged band fastener.

2. Closure fastening means comprising cooperating dies of which one has a double grooved and the other a single grooved operating face, cooperating fastener guide means projecting beyond the operating faces of the said dies, cooperating aligning means on the cooperating guides, means to mount one said guide slidably on its associated die, resilient means to advance said slidable guide toward said other die, and means to support the dies in operative cooperative relation' 3. The closure fastening means of claim 2 in Which one of the dies is slotted to receive the flange of a flanged fastener and has a groove transverse to the slot to receive the closure to be fastened.

4. A fastening machine for the application of flanged horseshoe fasteners to closures comprising cooperating compressive die means having opposed constricting means one of which includes a plurality of demi-cylindrical bearing surfaces having a common, centrally located element and the other of which has a single demi-cylindrical bearing surface, fastener guide means adjacent each of said surfaces comprising posts having interfitting bevels for aligning the dies, one of said guide means being reciprocably mounted and movable by the other, one die means being receivable in the opposed guide means during the constricting operation, and additional guide means forming slots for the reception of flanges of such flanged fasteners.

5. A fastening machine for the application of flanged horseshoe fasteners to closures comprising cooperating compressive die means having opposed constricting means one of which includes a plurality of demi-cylindrical bearing surfaces having a common, centrally located element and the other of which has a single demi-cylindrical bearing surface, fastener guide means adjacent each of said surfaces and additional guide means forming slots for the reception of flanges of such flanged fasteners.

6. A sealing machine, for flanged closure fasteners, having in opposed cooperating relation a driver and sleeve guide and an anvil, said driver including a rectangular stud having a working face comprising a single cylindrical groove with bevelled edges adapted to cooperate with the anvil in applying fasteners, said anvil including a cooperating working surface comprising a pair of parallel cylindrical grooves, having a combined width about equal to the width of the groove in the driver, between bevelled guide posts of thickness about equal to the length of said grooves, said sleeve guide being mounted on the square part of said post for sliding motion therealong and including guide posts on opposite sides of said groove adapted to guide the driver and havinjg'bevelled faces adapted to cooperate with bevels of said anvil guides, lateral guides placed on either side of said guide posts, spaced therefrom by a space suflicient to receive the flanges of a flanged collar fastener, and overlapping the ends of the driver to serve as guides therefor, said sleeve guide having at rest a slot between the lateral guides at a level superior to the groove in the driver, means to hold said driver and anvil in opposed relation, and means to operate them to apply a fastener.

7. Closure fastening means comprising a driver and an anvil having opposed faces adapted to receive and to bend a fastener of flanged band type, said driver being recessed within bevelled guide means, said anvil being recessed within guide means having bevels matching the'said bevelled guide means on the driver, one said bevel being internal and the other external on said guide means, said guide means encompassing said fastener When the bevels are engaged, one of said guide means being slidable whereby the driver and anvil may be brought together on the fastener.

8. The fastening means of claim 7 in which spring means biases the slidable guide toward the opposed guide.

9. The fastening means of claim 8 including means to change the spring to one of different strength.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 in which the driver and anvil are arranged one above the other, one of them being provided with at least one additional guide post beside said guide means and spaced therefrom, forming a slot for the reception of a flange of the flanged band fastener.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 308,087 McDonald Nov. 18, 1884 365,251 Gardner et a1 June 21, 1887 1,908,981 Hicks May 16, 1933 2,254,117 Keller Aug. 28, 1941 2,302,767 Hackbarth Nov. 24, 1942 2,600,012 Macy June 10, 1952 

